Two Visions about the Uniting Church

Two visions about the Uniting Church

Some of you may wonder how I became called to the ministry of prayer leadership within the Uniting Church. It all began with a vision. The Lord spoke to me and I’ve never been the same since.

It began soon after resolution 84 going back now to 2003 when a mass exodus happened from our national church with many good leaders leaving us. At the time I was minister at Liverpool Uniting. We decided as a congregation not to worry too much even though we were disturbed the church couldn’t make a stand on this issue. We formed as a congregation our own statement on sexuality and we got on with our own mission and calling others into faith in the Lord Jesus. We had a few members leave over the issue but thought we were on our way and it was behind us.

A few months later I went on a week long prayer retreat. It was there I had the vision that changed my life.

I saw a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ and a beautiful bride. I had a sense that the bride was only part of the church – the Uniting Church. The bride and Jesus were dancing. It was very joyous. The bride then took the veil off her head and put it into pig’s slop and then put it back on her head. The bride looked to Jesus as if saying, let us go on dancing. Instead, Jesus with immense sorrow and compassion looked at the bride and wept.

From that moment I began to hear Christ’s lament for us as a church.

Jesus in his love for us all wants to tenderly wash us clean. Ephesians 5:25-27 expresses his deep desire.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

Even in our own basis of Union it says in paragraph 4 that the Lord comes addresses and deals with us.

The Uniting Church acknowledges that the Church is able to live and endure through the changes of history only because its Lord comes, addresses, and deals with people in and through the news of his completed work.

Our forebears had great faith when the Uniting Church was being formed that our Lord Jesus Christ is alive and would take and active role with us. He comes to address and deal with us through the incredible news of all that he accomplished on the cross, so that we might be able to endure through the immense changes happening in history.

Our forefathers also had faith in the role of the Holy Spirit when we have lost our way. The prayer that we can pray is expressed in the final paragraph of the basis of union

The Uniting Church prays that, through the gift of the Spirit, God will constantly correct that which is erroneous in its life, will bring it into deeper unity with other Churches

I invite you to cry out to God through this month, that through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God will correct that which is erroneous in our life. Pray that this will happen so that we can come into deeper unity with the wider body of Christ in Australia. Know that that prayer will shake our church to her core.

This week, 13 years later i had a follow up vision to my original vision.

I saw the bride still with the dirty pig polluted veil on her head. By now it was putrid and the bride was getting sick. I saw Jesus urging her and begging her to take the veil off and he would wash it. She refused to see that anything was wrong even though she was coughing and obviously very unwell. After some time of urging without success the bride became so unwell that she collapsed to the ground, no longer able to rise. Jesus did not give up on her even in her foul, arrogant state. He went to her. She was barely conscious. She was no longer able to remove the veil herself because all her strength had gone. He reached out to her and asked her if she wanted him to remove it. I saw her open her eyes, flickering with her last death rattle strength she mouthed “Yes”. Tenderly Jesus removed the veil. Immediately a little colour came into her face. He then began to wash the veil in his blood. All the pig’s foul, putrid pollution was washed clean by our Lord. He came over to His bride. She was starting to take big clean breaths now no longer hindered by the veil of death. Slowly she regained strength and could rise from her fallen state. In time the veil restored to purity and holiness was placed on her head. Slowly and surely in the fullness of time she began the bridal dance once again with her bridegroom. The bridegroom’s eyes were so full of joy.

Praise God for the election of Rev Garry Dronfield as the new President of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress for the next three years. Please pray for wisdom, strength and protection for him as he leads Congress at this important time. ...

Around 150 people gathered in Geelong, Victoria for the UAICC - Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress triennial National Conference from 13-18 January.
Congratulations to the incoming National Executive and officers including new National President Rev. Garry Dronfield.

Today is our day of prayer and fasting. Let's fast and pray inJesus' mighty name for repentance and revival in our time, beginning in our own lives, family, church (including the Uniting Church - local and national), workplace, marketplace, neighbourhood, town, city, region, country and the world.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Sometimes we listen to the news of the increase of nuclear power in the hands of seemingly unstable world leaders, or even think of the church and we get discouraged and disheartened.

In our epistle teaching from 1 Thessalonians today, Paul tells us to encourage one another with the following words. Our precious Lord Jesus Christ is going to return. It will not be in a quiet way. There will be a loud shout, a voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God. All those who have died who are in the Lord Jesus Christ will rise first. And then any who are still alive will be caught up with him in the clouds.

Now comes our promise. Then we will be with the Lord forever!

This is not a popular teaching in some circles even within thechurch, for not all will be raised, not all will be with him forever. It is only those who are “in Christ”, who have received by faith all that Christ has done upon the cross.

Let us not be disheartened by any momentary problems. Let us put it into perspective.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back and when he returns we will be with him forever!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive us when we get overwhelmed with the chaos of the world and forget that Jesus Christ your son is returning again. Help us to not only remember this wonderful truth but to share it with others that they too may be encouraged. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen

Today is our day of prayer and fasting. Let's fast and pray in Jesus' mighty name for repentance and revival beginning in our own life, family, church, marketplace, workplace, neighbourhood, village, town, city, region, country and the world.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen

Psalms 107:33-37 (NRSV) He turns rivers into a desert,springs of water into thirsty ground,34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.35 He turns a desert into pools of water,a parched land into springs of water.36 And there he lets the hungry live,and they establish a town to live in;37 they sow fields, and plant vineyards,and get a fruitful yield. ...